9 weeks in the Seychelles

Nine short weeks in Seychelles is coming to end. It is a huge contrast to my usual nine-to-five at a bank in the heart of Auckland City, New Zealand. Every day I woke up to the sound of three fans doing their best to keep me cool, rustling leaves outside and my roommate saying “Yah man!” in an almost Jamaican accent. It is a very simple and sometimes hard life. After wake up, you have fifteen minutes to get ready for base duties which may include getting breakfast ready, cleaning bathrooms or getting the diving gear ready. Once you had finished your oats (the breakfast staple) you slowly get ready to dive!
There is a lot of natural beauty in Seychelles. There are massive granite rock formations, abundant marine life in the National Park right next to base, awesome hiking trails, endemic plant species such as the Coco De Mer and some of the most picturesque beaches in the world! With so much beauty around it is sometimes easy to forget you have a smartphone with 40 missed calls from your family back home. There is just no need to stay connected as you would in the city.

Weekend on La Digue

Above all though, it is always about as the Maori would say: “He Tangata, He Tangata, He Tangata”: The People, The People, The People. I was welcomed into a family from all over the world that brought their own culture, perspectives and experiences. Diversity brings with it a whole lot of fun as well as challenges but I wouldn’t have it any other way. My dorm room was decorated by an Irish volunteer/artist, I spent hours laughing at memes made by an American born Chinese lad and listened for hours about dive sites, ecosystems and conservation projects throughout the world from the various experienced staff. If you ever get the opportunity to do something like this, do what you gotta do and get on the plane!